Where is Kuroma Buffet & Dining in Johor Bahru?

Kuroma Buffet & Dining is at TD Central, 3, Jalan Sagu 21, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru — a popular premium Japanese buffet that draws many Singaporeans across the causeway.

Is Kuroma Buffet worth visiting?

It’s popular and the setup looks impressive, but for me the Japanese food freshness was just alright — especially compared with Bangkok. I give it 6/10 and wouldn’t go again.

Is parking difficult at Kuroma / TD Central?

Around 5:30pm there were plenty of lots. I’m not sure how hard it gets later in the evening when it fills up.

Does Kuroma have evening events?

On this visit they started conducting events after dinner — pretty loud and noisy. Could be fun for some; we left once that kicked in.

Kuroma Buffet & Dining JB Review — Japanese Buffet, 6/10

Dinner at Kuroma Buffet & Dining in Taman Daya after Homiest Living furniture window shopping and a chill stop at a friend’s place — big Japanese buffet energy, but not a return trip for me.

Kuroma is a pretty popular Japanese restaurant in Johor Bahru — the kind of place a lot of Singaporeans drive over for. Founded in 2021 as Johor’s first premium Japanese buffet (their framing), it sits inside TD Central at Taman Daya with the full big-room look: long dark buffet islands, warm under-lighting, a giant decorative tree in the middle of the floor. On paper it ticks the “special dinner out” boxes. For me, the food didn’t land hard enough to come back.

KUROMA Buffet & Dining — branding on the table before the rounds start.

How we ended up here

Same JB day as the reno furniture stop. Morning / midday was Homiest Living Mount Austin — sofa and extendable dining table window shopping. After that I went to a friend’s place to chill for a while, then headed over to Kuroma for dinner. We reached around 5:30pm, right as evening service opens.

Where is Kuroma Buffet & Dining?

Address: TD Central, 3, Jalan Sagu 21, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru. Official site lists dinner roughly 5:30pm–10:00pm daily (listings also show weekend lunch; worth confirming before you go). Reservations are recommended — call 019-773 0754 or book via kuroma.com.my. Smart casual, open-space parking on site.

The buffet — looks premium, eats “just alright”

The cold seafood / sashimi station is the visual centrepiece — crushed ice, rows of tuna, yellowtail, octopus, a whole fish and octopus head for show, chefs working the counter. Presentation is clean. Variety is there. For a place marketed as premium Japanese buffet (Classic dinner often lands around the mid–high RM100s++; upgrade paths include A5 Kagoshima Wagyu on some packages), you expect the raw bar to feel crisp.

Mine didn’t. Not bad — just all right. I don’t think the Japanese food here in Malaysia hits the freshness I want, and Kuroma didn’t change that view. Fine for a one-off if you’re already in Taman Daya and want the big buffet format. Not something I’d plan another trip around.

Sashimi and seafood on crushed ice at Kuroma Buffet — tuna yellowtail octopus with chefs behind the counter — Sashimi station — looks the part; freshness didn’t match Bangkok for me.

Vs Bangkok — the gap is real

I go to Thailand every couple of years, and the Bangkok area Japanese / seafood buffet scene is a different tier on freshness. When you’ve had thick, clean sashimi and seafood that tastes like it was cut for today, Malaysia’s “premium buffet” Japanese starts to feel muted — even when the room is nicer and the ice display is Instagram-ready. That comparison stuck with me through Kuroma. Not a fair fight on price alone, maybe — but on how the food feels, Bangkok wins by a wide margin for me.

Evening events — loud, not my scene

Towards the end of service they had events ongoing — pretty loud and very noisy. Could be fun if you’re there for a birthday / celebration vibe. Not my place to hang. Once we heard they were starting to conduct the event after we’d eaten, we left and didn’t stay long — just went downstairs to grab something else and call it a night.

Parking at 5:30pm

Parking is plenty there when we arrived around 5:30pm — lots available around TD Central. I’m not too sure if it gets difficult later once dinner crowds peak. Maybe sometime later in the evening. Early dinner arrival was easy.

Verdict — 6/10

Kuroma is popular for a reason: big Japanese buffet in JB, Singaporeans know it, the space looks the part. For me the food was just alright, freshness didn’t compete with what I’ve had in Bangkok, and the loud post-dinner events sealed a short exit. 6 out of 10 — not a place I will go to again. If you’re comparing JB Japanese buffet hype to Thailand trips every few years, set expectations accordingly.

FAQ — Kuroma Buffet & Dining JB

Where exactly is it?

TD Central, 3, Jalan Sagu 21, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Is it popular with Singaporeans?

Yes — it’s a well-known Japanese buffet stop in JB, and plenty of Singaporeans go there.

Would you recommend it?

Soft recommend only if you want the big buffet format and are already nearby. I wouldn’t make a special trip back — 6/10, freshness felt average vs Bangkok.

Parking?

Easy around 5:30pm on this visit. Later evening unknown.

How this note got written

Dictated on Cursor Mobile with Wispr Flow after the Taman Daya dinner loop — same day as Homiest Living and a friend’s place stop.